Mortal Kombat X Issue 4
Mortal Kombat X Issue 4 is the final issue of the series first arc, Blood Ties. Recap Chapter Ten: Scorpion: Sekret Origin In the present, outside the Sky Temple, Raiden attacks Hanzo with lightning, enraged at the ninja for coming to his home. Hanzo tries to reason with the mad thunder god, telling him that the Kamidogu is corrupting his mind. Raiden declares that the Kamidogu have opened his eyes to the Blood Code's power before shocking Hanzo with lightning, badly wounding him. The nearly insane Raiden rants at Hanzo that the demon has come to Earthrealm to set them all free through the Blood Code. Hanzo sees Takeda sneaking up behind Raiden with a sword, and tries to ward his student away, but Takeda impales Raiden through the back with the sword. This fails to faze Raiden, who chides the boy for not heeding his master before grabbing the sword and calling down more lightning to shock Takeda with, the apprentice screaming in agony. In the Himalayas a few weeks ago, Takeda and Hanzo traverse the snowy passes, with Takeda expressing his fears of becoming possessed by the demonic force pervading the Kamidogu. Takeda points out that Hanzo already knows what it's like, and Takeda expresses impression for his master's fight with Fox, asking why his teacher never taught him to use hellfire. Hanzo makes it clear to Takeda that hellfire is not a fighting style, but a curse he must bear. Hanzo then narrates to his student of his death at the hands of Sub-Zero a lifetime ago, as well as the massacre of his clan and murder of his wife and child. Hanzo recalls their frozen bodies were the last thing he ever saw before he died, his head and spine ripped from his body. In the Netherrealm, Hanzo was tormented and tortured, until he was approached by the sorcerer Quan Chi, who was intrigued by the fact that the hellfire of the Netherrealm did not burn the deceased Shirai Ryu. Quan Chi then infused Hanzo with hellfire, all the while promising him revenge and justice for his clan's destruction and his family's deaths. With that, Hanzo was reborn as Scorpion, who would take his revenge on Sub-Zero, burning him alive even as the cryomancer screamed his innocence, with Quan Chi watching on. Scorpion was hardly satisfied by his vengeance and would join Quan Chi in several more battles, until he was resurrected after the Netherrealm War, with the hellfire still burning in his soul. Hanzo admits to Takeda he felt he didn't deserve a second chance at life and contemplated suicide, until he met a wise man who saw his hellfire as something else. Takeda guesses rage, but Hanzo conjures the flames in his hand and explains that it is the moment he failed his family and clan, his shame, pain and loss that he can never let go of. Hanzo admits that to call on his hellfire he has to remember that moment, but if he burns for too long he risks destroying himself all over again, every time. Back in the present, Hanzo teleports Takeda away from the battle, with Raiden warning him as he vanishes that he cannot run from a god. In the past, Takeda apologizes for having his master bring up painful memories, but asks about the wise man and why Hanzo never mentioned him before. Hanzo reveals the reason was because Takeda asked him not to, as the wise man was his father, Kenshi. In the present, Raiden rips the sword in his abdomen out, raving that chaos will soon descend on Earthrealm. Scorpion teleports in front of Raiden, trying to grab the dagger, but Raiden swipes at him, forcing the Shirai Ryu to teleport away again. When Raiden mockingly asks how much hellfire he has left after so many teleports, Scorpion delivers a teleport punch straight to the thunder god's jaw, shattering it, declaring he has enough for a lifetime. Chapter Eleven: Kamidogu Scorpion furiously beats Raiden before choking the thunder god with his chain, telling whatever part of him is left that he hopes it hurts. Forcing a choking Raiden to his knees, Scorpion rages at him for giving him the dagger, blaming him for for the second Shirai Ryu's destruction and for Takeda's death. Before Scorpion can kill the thunder god, he hears Takeda calling out to him. Scorpion is shocked to see Takeda weakly staggering toward him and rushes to his side, releasing Raiden. As Hanzo comforts Takeda, Raiden calls to the ninja, apologizing for attacking him. Hanzo orders Raiden back, but the god claims his blood has been purged and that he is sane again. He tells Hanzo he can save Takeda if they act quickly. Raiden and Hanzo bring Takeda to the Jinsei chamber, where Raiden can channel Earthrealm's lifeforce to heal himself and the boy. It at first appears not to work, and Raiden explains that the Netherrealm is fighting for Takeda's soul, but he is resisting. Takeda awakens with a gasp, feeling invincible, with Raiden calling it an after effect of bathing in the Jinsei. Raiden apologizes to Hanzo and Takeda, offering them an explanation for the Kamidogu. In the past, after the Netherrealm War and Shinnok's second defeat, Raiden appeared before the Elder Gods, pleading with them to destroy Shinnok's Amulet once and for all, saying no realm will be safe until then. The Elder Gods refuse, saying that if the amulet is destroyed, Shinnok will simply be released once more. Raiden then says they need to safeguard the amulet in a dark dimension where no one can find it. The Elder Gods agree and summon the Kamidogu to encircle the thunder god. The Elder Gods explain that the daggers have tasted the One Being's blood and that its essence dwells inside them and that while no single blade can contain Shinnok, united they can. Raiden understands and allow the Kamidogu to impale him, binding Shinnok with the blood of a god. In the present, Hanzo places the Kamidogu in a vault that Raiden seals, the thunder god explaining he entrusted each dagger to a deadly champion for safekeeping. Hanzo is enraged that Raiden didn't tell him that they possess those who are cut by them, and Raiden, while saying that it was best Hanzo think of the Kamidogu as nothing more than a relic, admits he did not foresee a demon corrupting the Blood Magik. Hanzo asks if Quan Chi is the culprit, and while Raiden doubts the sorcerer is behind it, he has sent Fujin to investigate the Netherrealm. When Hanzo asks who else has the daggers, Raiden says all but one are accounted for. In Bukittinggi, Indonesia, Sub-Zero flees from the automated Lin Kuei but is cornered on a roof top. The cyborgs order him to return to become one of them, but Sub-Zero, compelled by the demon possessing him, uses the Kamidogu to invoke Blood Magik to enhance his powers, killing the Lin Kuei by trapping them and part of the city in a glacier. Sub-Zero admires the dagger as the voice of the demon declares the time of the Blood God is near. Back in the Sky Temple, Hanzo accuses Sub-Zero of betraying Raiden, but the thunder god knows he has become possessed and that whoever has corrupted the Kamidogu seeks Shinnok's Amulet to release the fallen elder god. Raiden asks Hanzo to save Sub-Zero, and at Takeda's encouragement, Hanzo agrees to bring Sub-Zero back... dead or alive. In Outworld, Reiko studies a book on Blood Magik in a large library, discussing with someone how they have discovered it to be Kotal Kahn's source of strength. Reiko tells the person he has done all he asked, saying that finding the daggers could take years, but the person, a cleric, says he already knows where they are. Reiko asks how much longer he must share a bed with Mileena before Outworld's Throne is his, and the cleric claims that when the daggers are united, Reiko will become more than Outworld's emperor, but a Blood God, much to the former general's dark delight. Chapter Twelve: Rumble in the Jungle In the Outworld jungles, the Special Forces group follow behind D'Vorah and Sonya Blade deeper into the jungle. When D'Vorah kills and devours a small lizard, Sonya expresses her disgust at the act and when D'Vorah offers to regurgitate and share it with her, she tells the insect woman to just stop. An amused Johnny Cage offers a not-so-amused Reptile a bet of Sonya snapping before D'Vorah. Sonya snaps at Johnny to not tempt her, and when the movie star starts to defend himself, he notices blood dripping onto his sunglasses. Johnny calls to an uninterested Sonya to look up, saying he's found their kidnapper. Reptile and D'Vorah are shocked to see Erron Black, beaten and bloody, tied to a tree top, while Sonya is unfazed and orders him down so he can tell them where the girls are. Flashbacking to earlier during the Black and Red Dragons confrontation, Kano makes it clear that he doesn't bargain with Red Dragons while Erron Black says the girls are property of Kotal Kahn. Mavado retorts that they are property of Reiko, and as the two factions argue, Cassie and Jacqui whisper to each other on the ground, making a plan to run as soon as they start to fight. When Mavado points out his superior numbers to Kano, the Black Dragon responds by blowing one of the Red Dragon soldier's head off, prompting an all out brawl between the warring clans. Cassie and Jacqui prepare to run when Erron Black suddenly frees them from their bonds, promising them survival if they fight. Jacqui agrees, but promptly starts beating on Erron Black, catching him off guard. Kano dominates his fight with Mavado, stabbing him and kicking him all the while mocking his fallen comrade, Hsu Hao. Before he can finish Mavado, a Red Dragon soldier shoots and damages his optic implant. Kano retreats and knocks Jacqui off Erron Black with a punch, telling his partner they need to fall back and asks for the Portal Stone. While Cassie helps Jacqui, Erron tells Kano to get the girls but Kano only tells Erron Black the reason he could never be a Black Dragon was because he tries to save people instead of exploiting them. With that, Kano opens a portal and flees, leaving Black at the mercy of Mavado. Mocking Erron for trusting Kano, Mavado cuts him down with his hookswords before returning his attention to Cassie and Jacqui. The girls have armed themselves with automatics from fallen soldiers and proceed to shoot down several of Mavado's forces, but fail to hit him at all. When they run out of ammo, Mavado attacks them. While he manages to cut Cassie with one of his swords, Jacqui gets him in a hold, allowing Cassie to shatter his kneecap with a kick. When Jacqui tells her to finish him, Cassie takes one of Mavado's swords and cuts his abdomen open in a single slash, gutting the Red Dragon commander and killing him. In the present, both Johnny and Sonya are impressed by Cassie's actions while Erron Black reveals the remaining Red Dragons took the girls and left him to pass along a message, an invitation to Shang Tsung's Island. When Sonya asks who is on the island since Tsung's death, Erron Black reveals it is now ruled by Reiko's spiritual adviser, an ancient cleric named Havik. On the island, the girls are brought before Havik and Reiko in Shang Tsung's Throne Room, the cleric of chaos greeting them with a prepared meal, warning them that it may be their last. Characters Featured In Order of Appearance: *Raiden *Scorpion (Flashback and Main Story) *Takeda Takahashi *Elder Sub-Zero (Flashback Only, Death) *Kana Hasashi (Flashback Only, Body Only) *Jubei Hasashi (Flashback Only, Body Only) *Quan Chi (First Appearance, Flashback Only) *Liu Kang (First Appearance, Flashback Only) *Johnny Cage (Flashback and Main Story) *Elder Gods (First Appearance, Flashback Only) *Sub-Zero *Lin Kuei *Reiko *Havik (First Appearance) *D'Vorah *Sonya Blade *Reptile *Erron Black (Flashback and Main Story) *Kano (Flashback Only) *Black Dragon (Flashback Only) *Mavado (Flashback Only, Death) *Red Dragon (Flashback and Main Story) *Cassie Cage (Flashback and Main Story) *Jacqui Briggs (Flashback and Main Story) Mentioned *Forrest Fox *Kenshi *Shirai Ryu *Shinnok *Fujin *Kotal Kahn *Hsu Hao *Shang Tsung Trivia *One of Scorpion's flashbacks depicts his battle with Johnny Cage during the Netherrealm War in Johnny's own chapter in Mortal Kombat X's story mode. Curiously, Johnny is wearing his MK 2011 costume instead of his new alternate costume as depicted in game. Category:Mortal Kombat X Category:Mortal Kombat X Comic Series Category:Comics